I love Amazon for the convenience, but one thing I’ve learned after spending way too much time shopping online is that the price you see today definitely isn’t always the price you’ll see tomorrow.
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Amazon prices can change constantly. Something sitting in your cart for $39.99 one day might randomly drop to $24.99 the next. There might be a coupon hiding underneath the price that you have to actually click to use. Or something you’ve been waiting to buy might suddenly go on sale for a few hours and then jump up even higher than it was before.
And yes, I am absolutely the person who gets way too excited when I catch one of those deals.
Over time, I’ve gotten pretty good at spotting Amazon deals and price drops, especially on the things I’m already shopping for as a mom: baby and kids products, toys, household essentials, home finds, clothes and all of those random Amazon things I probably didn’t know existed until five minutes ago.
So if you love saving money but don’t want to spend your entire day refreshing Amazon, here are some of the ways I find the best Amazon deals.
1. Always Look for an Amazon Coupon
This is probably one of the easiest Amazon savings tricks, and it’s also one of the easiest to miss.
Sometimes you’ll see a little coupon underneath the price on a product page offering an additional dollar amount or percentage off.
The important part?
You usually have to actually select the coupon before checking out.
I’ve definitely gotten all the way to checkout before realizing I forgot to click one.
So before I add something to my cart, I always take an extra second to look around the price for an available coupon.
And don’t assume that two similar products have the same offer. Sometimes one color, size or variation will have a coupon while another doesn’t.
Those little discounts can add up, especially when you’re buying household essentials or things you were already planning to purchase.
2. Don’t Automatically Trust the “Percent Off”
Seeing 40% OFF in big letters certainly makes something feel like an amazing deal.
But I care much more about the actual price.
Prices on Amazon can fluctuate, so I try not to buy something simply because it has a big discount badge next to it.
Instead, I ask myself:
Would I actually be happy paying this price for it?
If it’s something I’ve been watching for a while, I usually have a pretty good idea of what it normally costs. That makes it much easier to recognize when the price really is unusually good.
For bigger purchases, I usually wait until I’ve watched the price for a little while so I have a better idea of what it normally sells for.
3. Leave Things in Your Cart (or Save Them for Later)
This is one of my favorite lazy Amazon shopping tricks.
If I want something but don’t necessarily need it today, I’ll often leave it in my cart or save it for later instead of immediately checking out.
Then I can keep an eye on the price.
Amazon will sometimes show you when the price of an item in your cart has changed since you added it, which makes it much easier to notice a drop.
Obviously, this isn’t a great strategy if you need diapers delivered tomorrow.
But for clothes, home decor, toys, gifts and other non-urgent purchases, waiting can sometimes pay off.
Want Me to Find the Deals for You?
If checking Amazon for price drops isn’t exactly how you want to spend your free time, I get it. 😂 That’s why I created Mama on a Budget, my free Facebook group where I share the best deals I find throughout the day. Think Amazon price drops, Target and Walmart finds, baby and kids deals, home finds, everyday essentials and more. There are already 2,700+ moms in the group saving together!
4. Check Subscribe & Save on Things You Buy Anyway
Subscribe & Save can be especially useful for families because so many of the things we buy repeatedly are eligible.
Think:
- Diapers and wipes
- Toiletries
- Cleaning supplies
- Laundry products
- Pantry staples
- Snacks
- Pet supplies
- Personal care products
Depending on the item and your subscriptions, you may be able to save compared with purchasing it as a one-time order.
But I still check the final price before subscribing.
A subscription discount doesn’t automatically make something the cheapest option, so I compare the actual cost rather than assuming it’s a deal just because Subscribe & Save is available.
5. Watch for Random Limited-Time Price Drops
This is where Amazon shopping gets interesting.
Some of the best deals I find aren’t necessarily during Prime Day or Black Friday.
They’re just… random.
I’ll come across a toy, kitchen gadget, baby product or home find that is suddenly significantly cheaper than I normally see it.
Sometimes the price lasts all day.
Sometimes it lasts a few hours.
And sometimes I go back later to share it and the deal is already gone.
That’s one reason I don’t like waiting to share a really good deal when I find one.
If something you already wanted drops to a price you’re comfortable paying, that can be a better reason to buy than waiting around for a major sale event.
6. Use the Big Sale Events Strategically
Of course, there are certain times of year when I pay extra attention to Amazon deals.
Prime Day, Prime Big Deal Days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday can all bring some great discounts.
But I don’t recommend buying something just because it’s part of a big sale.
Before one of these events, I like to make a mental or actual list of the things I’ve already been considering buying.
That way, when everything suddenly has a giant SALE badge slapped on it, I’m not adding 37 things to my cart simply because Amazon has convinced me I’m saving money.
I can concentrate on the things we actually need or that I’ve already been waiting to buy.
7. Keep a Running List of Things You Need
This has probably saved me from more impulse purchases than anything else.
Instead of waiting until a sale starts and then looking around for something to buy, I try to do the opposite.
I keep track of things our family will need soon.
Maybe Lucas is going to need pajama size ups. Maybe I’m starting to think about Christmas gifts. Or maybe I’m planning ahead for bigger purchases, like I did when putting together my Ultimate Baby Registry Checklist. Keeping a list gives me time to watch for deals instead of buying everything at once.
Then, when I come across a great deal on one of those things, I can grab it.
You’re not really saving $20 if you spent $30 on something you never would have bought otherwise.`
That is a lesson my Amazon cart and I have had to learn together.
8. Compare the Final Price, Not Just the Deal
This is especially important when Amazon has multiple sellers, sizes, quantities or coupon offers.
Let’s say one box of something is 30% off.
Amazing… until you realize the larger package has a lower cost per item.
Or one listing has a coupon while another has a lower starting price.
Before checking out, I like to compare what I’m actually paying for what I’m getting.
It only takes another few seconds, but it’s an easy way to avoid getting distracted by whichever listing happens to have the biggest discount badge.
9. Or… Let Someone Else Find the Deals for You
Okay, so you can do all of this.
You can check your cart for price drops, look for coupons, compare prices, watch sale events and periodically search Amazon to see what’s marked down.
But do you actually want to spend your day doing that?
Probably not.
I, on the other hand, genuinely love finding this stuff.
That’s one of the reasons I created Mama on a Budget, my free Facebook deals group for moms.
It’s where I can quickly share the good deals I come across throughout the day without having to turn every single find into an entire blog post.
And it’s not just Amazon!
I share Amazon price drops, Target and Walmart finds, baby and kids deals, toys, household essentials, home finds, fashion and plenty of those random “Wait… why is this so cheap right now?!” deals.
There are already more than 2,700 moms in the group, and the idea behind it is pretty simple:
I do the deal hunting so you don’t have to.
If you’re another mom who loves getting a good deal but doesn’t particularly want to make finding them your full-time job, come hang out with us!
A Few Final Amazon Shopping Tips
At the end of the day, my biggest rule is pretty simple:
A sale isn’t a good deal unless it’s something you actually wanted or needed in the first place.
Look for coupons. Pay attention to the actual price instead of the percentage-off badge. Keep an eye on things you know you’ll need. And when you find something you’ve already been wanting at a price you’re happy with, that’s when a deal is actually useful.
And if you’d rather skip the hunting altogether, I’ll happily keep doing it for you.
Join us in Mama on a Budget and check out the latest deals I’ve found!
